Pakistani PM says country can't afford confrontation

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Saturday told the country's senior politicians and top military leadership that the country cannot afford political confrontation at a time when the security forces are fighting armed groups in North Waziristan tribal region.

The comments come at a time when a senior opposition political leader has announced a march against the government on August 14.

Imran Khan, chief of Tehrik-e-Insaf party, says his hundreds of thousands of supporters will stage sit-in in Islamabad and will not end protest until Nawaz Sharif resigns.

A religious leader Tahir-ul-Qadri has also started protests against the government and his supporters clashed with police in several cities in Punjab province on Friday. Qadri's Pakistan Awami Tehrik says the police have arrested hundreds of its activists.

A spokesman for the party, Raheeq Abbasi, says that two activists of the party were killed in police firing on Friday as the group's supporters torched a police station and seized a police van. Officials say that dozens of police have also been injured in clashes with the opposition activists.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif convened a meeting of the county's senior political leaders and military leaders to discuss the security situation and review progress in the ongoing military operation in North Waziristan.

"The country cannot afford any political confrontation at a time when the armed forces are fighting terrorists and efforts are afoot to revive the economy," Nawaz Sharif told the National Security Conference in Islamabad.

He called upon the political parties to play responsible role to steer the country out of all challenges and criticized all those who raising slogans of revolution to trigger anarchy in the country are treading the wrong path.

Leaders of almost all major parties, including the main opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, attended the conference; however, Imran Khan stayed away from the moot.

Chef of military operation Major Gen. Aamir Riaz, briefed participants of the conference on the military operation in North Waziristan and said that the required objectives have been achieved.

The army chief General Raheel Sharif and head of the country's superior intelligence chief, Lt. Gen. Zaheer-ul-Islam also attended the conference.

Nawaz Sharif said that he is ready to meet Imran Khan to discuss his demands including political and electoral reforms, however, he made it clear that his government will not bow before any illegal demands through protests.